Thoughts and photos mostly for friends and family

[amf1950]

Little Egret in Normandy Lane

It is a gusty wind from the east and its feathers are being beautifully disarrayed by it.

[amf1950]

The church of St Swithin, Thorley, Isle of Wight

Now abandoned but left looking glorious, surrounded by grasses and wildflowers with gravestones just bobbing above the surface of the lush meadow. A tiny church, now no doubt home to bats.

We found it by chance while on our way to visit nearby open gardens.

[amf1950]

Anthony Gormley statues on Crosby Beach

They are atmospheric and somehow forlorn. Silently staring towards America

[amf1950]

Bradford on Avon

Just a few unedited pics of this beautiful, old town. The tithe barn and the Saxon church of St Laurence being especially lovely.

[amf1950]

Carisbrook Castle, Isle of Wight

A lovely day out on the first sunny day for ages.

[amf1950]

Sea wall walk around Lymington

Intended to try to get photos of birds and only the avocets were in range. Shame they were separated by the wire but called to each other pathetically as if they failed to realise that they could fly over the fence.

Ended up taking close-ups of plants and a shot of the wildflowers in the hay meadows.

#Lymington

#Avocets 

#Wildflowers 

#Hay meadows

#Photography

[amf1950]

Maldon and Tollesbury, Essex

Revisiting after 13 years. I love the boat stores at Tollesbury; such weird structures, at high tide they are isolated by the floodwater. Maldon’s thames barges are lovely reminders of times long past but so many good boats preserved or being restored. But at low tide all there is is mud! I also love the grave of Sarah and the two husbands she outlived. Wonder if she did away with them?

[amf1950]

Just a few buildings in Winchester

Recent visit with fine shopfronts and the cathedral with Anthony Gormley statue in the flooded crypt and the wonderful hospice at St Cross.

[amf1950]

Recent visit to RHS Wisley and Tate Modern

I love the early hooped petticoat narcissus and the views from tjhe members’ bar at the gallery

[amf1950]

Exhibition of Polish paper cuts at St Barbe museum, Lymington

Absolutely blown away by these. All hand cut over many hours, A fine exhibition.

NB also on, an exhibition of illustrations to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books worth looking at too.

[amf1950]

Plinth of the enormous statue in St Pancras Station

The statue, of a soldier and his girlfriend embracing, is massive and not that impressive beyond its size i think. But the bronze refiefs around the plinth are stunning

[amf1950]

Collection of African sculptures from the gardens at Monte, Funchal, Madeira

So many placed closely, cluttered together that it was impossible to get a clear picture of any one of them. Ideally the exhibition space should have been ten times bigger to do the pieces justice. In a way it belittles the artists to have their work so jumbled together. But some of the pieces were fantastic; some almost mythical mixtures of beast and man, others caricatures of people known to the artists I think.

[amf1950]

Some of the doors and murals in the old town in Funchal, Madeira.

I wonder who started this, but the whole area is decorated. No doubt it helps attract tourists to bars and restaurants, but there are hundreds of images.

[amf1950]

Heale House visit September 2022

It’s that time of year when many gardens are showing signs of tiredness perhaps, colours are faded; time to cut back and tidy a bit. Heale House gardens are small enough to wander in little more than an hour, with a fine cafe. 

[amf1950]

National Trust: Nymans

A fine house and a bit weird. The original Georgian house was remodelled as Gothic and completed in 1929 but then burned down substantially in 1947. Much of the interior was saved and the house partly re-built and so is even more Gothic, with the burned out remains still attached.

A fine garden that we will have to return to sometime.

[amf1950]

Arundel street facades

Just back from a short break in this small Sussex town. Although it boasts a castle and a cathedral it is still only a parish as, since 1974 its borough status was reduced. It has fine Georgian buildings and some stunning shop fronts

[amf1950]

Sunset at Milford on sea

Lovely sunset at Milford clifftops the other evening